I just finished my PowerPoint Presentation (Iwork, Keynote) for my speech for the Pen Women on April 20th.
One of my slides contains how I teach:

Every week I'll send out an email bulletin with working links (blue) in which I'll inform/teach my students about a subject.
This is one of them teaching them the BATIK METHOD for watercolor.

Second picture: SISTERS (sold)
*Batik method: Drawing with rubber cement to block the colors creating white lines. Use a pik-up eraser to erase the rubber cement.

How I did it?
Here we go:

Pour rubber cement in an empty and clean bottle (for hair dying bottle works best for me: it has a fine point to draw with) First draw your image straight on to your watercolor paper with a pencil. Then go over the image by drawing (and squeezing the bottle lightly) with the tip of your bottle filled with rubber cement. Let it dry completely. Then start using your watercolors, or acrylic paints. The rubber cement will resist your paint. It will leave a white line.
After painting allow to dry completely.
Using a gum eraser (pik up), rub off all of the rubber cement AND your pencil marks.
This will leave the desired clean, white spot where the cement was.

Basic TIPS for textures in watercolor:

Watercolor is a wonderful versatile medium, and you can change its look quite easily with additives and other materials to give it a more textural appearance. Texture can be an exciting addition to a watercolor painting.

TO ACHIEVE TEXTURE in your watercolor:
1) I love to work with the BATIK METHOD to outline the abstract shapes. The white lines enhance the colors and provide that extra bold dimension.

2) I used TABLE SALT for unique watercolor texture effects: Just sprinkle a light dusting of salt crystals in puddles of paint. As the painting dries, the salt's effect on the watercolor washes becomes visible.(The coarser the crystals the greater effect!) The salt crystals suck up pigment gradually, creating a myriad of light star-like shapes.(Great for snow flakes and for a starry sky on a dark wash!) Use a clean dry hand and gently brush away the salt.

3) ALCOHOL gives a total different effect.You’ll need some Q-tips and 91% Isopropol Alcohol. Dip a Q tip in alcohol and drip or spatter the alcohol onto the damp watercolor painting. You can let the painting dry a bit and then apply more alcohol drops for even more texture.As the alcohol hit the wash it repels the paint, pushing it away while leaving a lighter tint of the wash exposed.

4) BLOTTING & LIFTING TISSUE paper to "lift" away pigment. After applying paint to your paper take a sheet of tissue paper and spread it out or crumple it over the wash, letting the creases and folds press against the paint as you gently press down on it. Leave the tissue paper and the painting to dry for a while (but be careful not to leave it too long or it will be glued in place.) Carefully remove the tissue paper.

5) PLASTIC WRAP texture works similarly to tissue paper texture, only you use plastic wrap from the kitchen to press over the painting's wet surface.

6) SPLATTERINGis a trick which adds texture to a watercolor painting.Fine water drops are flicked into a moist wash. Tap your brush against the forefinger of your other hand, splattering a spray onto the paper. Keep it close to the paper surface.

7) SCRATCHING & SCRAPING with a piece of an old credit card, the end of your paintbrush, a nail, a paper clip, razor blade, painting knife or any other hard object to scratch (make a groove or dent in) your paper while the wash is still quite wet. The pigment will settle in the scratches, drying darker, giving you interesting textured passages. Using a painting knife to create textures in watercolor requires practice because timing is critical.

HAVE FUN AND EMAIL ME YOUR RESULTS!

Copyright Olga van Dijk 2010©
This is another OLGartsProduction©2010